LAFIA (PEOPLE AT PEACE) Annual Progress Report: October 15, 2019 – September 30, 2020 OCTOBER 2020

Program Information Grantee: Mercy Corps Project Title: People at Peace (Lafia) Grant Number: 720-688-20-CA-00001 Country: Funding Amount: $1,499,526 Grant Dates: 10/16/2019 – 09/30/2021 Quarter (Dates) being discussed: 10/15/2019 – 10/30/2020 Date Progress Report is submitted: 30 October 2020 Table of Contents

ACRONYMS 4

PROGRAM SCOPE OF WORK 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

Program Startup Activities 6

Progress by Program Objective 6

PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS 8

Contextual Information 8

Program Start-up Activities 9

Progress by Program Objective 14

CHALLENGES & LESSONS LEARNED 29

PLANNED ACTIVITES - NEXT QUARTER 31

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 2 Figures

Figure 1: Lafia target areas ...... 9 Figure 2: Program organogram ...... 10 Figure 4: Lafia EWER system structure ...... 26 Figure 5: Incidents collected by the EWER system in the region (August - September 2020) ...... 27

Tables

Table 1: Distribution of respondents by age group and gender ...... 15 Table 2: Communities identified through VRAI mapping ...... 18 Table 3: Summary of established clubs ...... 21 Table 4: Identified community risk factors and suggested mitigation ...... 23 Table 5: EWER system indicators and codes ...... 24 Table 6: Incidents reported through EWER system – pilot phase ...... 26

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 3 ACRONYMS CMM Conflict Management and Mitigation CMAS Coordination des mouvements, Associations et Sympathisants de l'Imam Mahmoud Dicko CNJ National Youth Council COFO Commission Fonciere (Land commission) CSA Peace Agreement Monitoring Committee (Comité de Suivi de l’Accord de paix) CVE Countering Violent Extremism DDR Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States EMK Mouvement Espoir Mali Koura EWER Early Warning Early Response FAMA Malian Armed Forces FSD Front pour la Sauvegarde de la Démocratie MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning M5 Mouvement du 5 juin MINUSMA United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali MOU Memorandum of Understanding OCI Organizational Capacity Index RECOTRAD Network of Traditional Communicators for the Development of Mali S4C Sports for Change TOC Theory of Change UJMMA Union of Young Muslims UNPBF United Nations Peacebuilding Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development VEO Violent Extremist Organization VRAI Vulnerabilities and Resilience Assessment Initiative VRAI-CVE Vulnerabilities and Resilience Assessment Initiative to Counter Violent Extremism

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 4 PROGRAM SCOPE OF WORK As instability has spread through northern and central Mali since 2012, Mali’s south and west have remained relatively stable. However, multiple tensions now threaten that fragile peace. In both urban and rural areas, male and female youth are frustrated at perceived injustices, lack of economic opportunities and the absence of functioning government services. In rural areas, competition for land and water between Fulani pastoralists and Bambara and Soninke farmers may trigger the further spread of violence if left unmanaged. At the political level, resentment against a perceived lack of engagement of the south in national peace processes coupled with the flow of resources to northern and central Mali is considered a further risk to southern stability.

In response to these trends, Mercy Corps and Think Peace are implementing “Lafia,” meaning “People at Peace” in Bambara, a two-year, $1,499,526 USD program that aims to support urban and rural communities in southern and western Mali to increase resilience to conflict and violent extremism. Through a people-to- people approach bringing together political and religious leaders and young men and women from different ethnic groups, Lafia will increase local capacities to counter drivers of conflict and extremism through three interlinked objectives: 1) Youth reduce their vulnerability to participating in conflict and violent extremism; 2) Traditional, religious and female leaders, and government officials resolve inter-group conflicts peacefully and reduce conflict drivers; and 3) Local communities actively engage with relevant government authorities and civil society actors in the implementation of national policies that prevent violent extremism and promote reconciliation.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The overall goal of Lafia is to support urban and rural communities in southern Mali to increase resilience to conflict and violent extremism through a people-to-people approach bringing together political and religious leaders and young men and women from different ethnic groups. Through three interlinked objectives Lafia is increasing local capacities to counter drivers of conflict and extremism.

Major accomplishments during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 were as follows:

Program Startup Activities

 Recruitment and staffing;  Signature of MOU with Think Peace;  Kick-off meeting with Think Peace;  Baseline study: data collection, analysis and report, and presentation of results;  Program launching ceremony;  COVID-19 adaptation: o COVID-19 sensitive assessment SOPs were developed alongside public health experts for Lafia’s VRAI assessment. Adaptations included: remote-based methods of data collection, limiting participant numbers at focus group discussions to support social distancing, and adding usage of handwashing stations and contactless thermometers for entry/exit points of program activities; o Lafia COVID-19 contingency plan developed and shared with USAID-CMM to ensure operational continuity.

Progress by Program Objective

Objective 1: Youth reduce their vulnerability to participating in conflict and violent extremism

Activities under the program’s first objective are implemented by Think Peace with Mercy Corps support. Mercy Corps and Think Peace are working with prominent youth associations to support young men and women to analyze and respond to conflict threats. Activities carried out include:

 Activity 1.1. Youth associations conduct a mapping exercise of vulnerability to violence and sources of resilience. Local members from Malian youth associations Conseil National de la Jeunesse Malienne (CNJ) and L'Union des Jeunes Musulmans du Mal (UJMMA) were brought on board and trained to support data collection. Work completed under this activity includes: o Finalization of the conclusions section of the assessment o Workshops: discussion of VRAI results and geographic targeting to identify areas of intervention

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 6  Activity 1.2. 1Sixty (60) Sport for Change (S4C) Clubs set-up to involve 2,000 youth at risk of participation in conflict in identification and resolution of conflict in collaboration with youth leaders. Work completed under this activity includes: o Sport for Change training o Establishment of 60 sports clubs o Five (5) training sessions for 60 coaches o Implementation of S4C activities  Activity 1.3. Youth design and implement action plans that address risk factors for violence o Two (2) workshops held in Diema and Yelimane o Two (2) action plans development  New activity: Awareness-raising initiatives to prevent violence following the events of May 11, 2020 in Kayes

Objective 2: Traditional, religious, and female leaders and government officials resolve inter-group conflicts peacefully and reduce conflict drivers

 Activity 2.1. Traditional, religious, women, and government leaders increase their capacity in dispute resolution. Work completed under this activity includes: o Ten (10) training sessions for community leaders from the 10 communes in and District  Activity 2.2. Trained leaders participate in 12 conflict resolution forums to share lessons and develop/adapt Early Warning Early Response systems (EWER) to needs of zones of intervention. Work completed under this activity includes: o Thirty-six (36) monitors identified o Training and set up of the EWER system in 9 communes o EWER system functioning in 8 communes

1 This initial target has been decreased to 60 as the budget has been impacted by COVID-19 preventive measures. These measures were put in place in order to ensure that activities were carried out in compliance with the health standards and government restrictions.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 7 PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENTS Contextual Information

The first year of implementation of the Lafia project was marked by both the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences and the socio-political tensions that led to the dissolution of the national government and ongoing political transition.

The country recorded the first two cases of COVID-19 on March 24, 2020. By March 31, 2020, the total number of cases was 28. To address the increasing number of cases and prevent exponential spread, the government of Mali took several restrictive measures, including the introduction of a curfew and the closure of land and air borders. Many members of the public did not believe the virus existed and denounced alleged manipulation by authorities to attract funding. In addition, in the context of the month of Ramadan, there were several demonstrations in Bamako, Kayes, and Segou, particularly against the restrictive measures (curfews) that prevented communities from observing as normal. However, the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains largely under control. As of October 20, 2020, Mali had a total of 3,407 confirmed cases and 132 deaths.2

At the socio-political level, there were many demonstrations in Bamako and in the major cities throughout Mali. These protest movements, often in connection with the restrictive measures taken to combat COVID-19, intensified following contestation of the results of the legislative election (April 2020). The largest demonstration took place in Sikasso on May 7, and police responded forcefully, resulting in the death of one protester and injuries to at least four others. Calls for calm, as well as the suspension of the curfew on May 9, temporarily diffused the situation. In response to the frustrations with election and COVID-19 response, political and religious movements gathered to protest against the government. The Coordination des mouvements, Associations et Sympathisants de l'Imam Mahmoud Dicko (CMAS), the Front pour la Sauvegarde de la Démocratie (FSD) and the Mouvement Espoir Mali Koura (EMK) organized a demonstration in Bamako on June 5, bringing together more than 5,000 people. Then grouped within the Mouvement du 5 juin (M5), the protesters demonstrated again on June 19. Their main demand was for the resignation of the President of the Republic. Weak governance and perceived corruption remain at the heart of widespread frustrations, but other longstanding economic, social and security issues added to the discontent. Demonstrations were also been organized in other regions, particularly in the Kayes region. Despite the intervention of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, these demonstrations led to the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on August 18. Since then, with the involvement of ECOWAS and the national discussions, a transition period has been opened with a civilian President and Prime Minister and a government composed of both civilians and the military. This 18-month transition should lead to the organization of a presidential election.

Regarding the security situation, in addition to the kidnapping of the leader of the political opposition during the campaign for the legislative elections on March 25, 2020 and his release on October 8, the Kayes region in particular has been the scene of several acts of intimidation by radical groups and community conflicts,

2 https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/mali

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 8 against the backdrop of the cultural practice of slavery. For instance, from November 6-8, 2019, in Lany Modi, a locality in the Kayes region, clashes broke out between families of slaves and upper class families over land. It took the intervention of the gendarmerie to stop these clashes.

Kayes and Koulikoro regions have also experienced intimidation by radical groups and rumors of attacks. These acts of intimidation were recorded on November 30, 2019 against a school principal in the and in Korera-Kore, a locality in Nioro, against a mayor on December 4, 2019. In addition, on

October 8, 2019, rumors of attacks by radical armed groups invaded the Diema area. On January 11, 2020, radical armed groups attacked the payment station at the entrance to Diema, in the Kayes region, resulting in the death of two civilians. A month later, on February 11, 2020, another attack occurred at the gendarmerie camp in Diema. The attack was stopped with Figure 1: Lafia target areas the help of the anti-terrorist force. The result of the attack was the death of a gendarme and two assailants. These two successive incidents created a climate of tension and fear in the region, with rumors suggesting the presence of radicals in other locations.

The population is placing great hope in the transitional government to improve the security situation with greater involvement of the military.

Program Start-up Activities

The implementation of the Lafia project started in the second half of October 2019. The following program start-up activities were carried out:

 Recruitment and staffing;  Program launch ceremony;  Internal kick-off meeting;  Monitoring and evaluation workshop;  Drafting of sub-grant agreement with Think Peace;  Signature of MOU with Think Peace; start-up activities & kick-off meeting;  Preparation and implementation of baseline study;  Activity workplan.

Recruitment and Staffing As the Program Manager was already known and on site, Mercy Corps was able to move quickly with national staff recruitment. The program brought on board four local team members who serve as the face of the program in the field: two program assistants operating in Diema and Yelimane, and two program officers based in and in Bamako. These team members, led by the Program Manager, are conducting the implementation of the program. That includes building relationships with local stakeholders, leading the development of the local EWER system, supporting training, and monitoring the context to ensure that the program is adapting to changes in the environment and opportunities.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 9

Figure 2: Program organogram

Program Launch Ceremony

Photo 2: Launch of Lafia in Kayes region, December 2019.

Left to right: Mathieu Rouquette, Mercy Corps Mali Interim Country Director; Mahamadou Z. Sidibé, Governor for Kayes region, Dennis B. Hankins, Ambassador of the United States in Mali, and M. Mariko Moussa, 1st Deputy to the Mayor of Kayes

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 10 Mercy Corps organized the launch ceremony of the Lafia project on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 in Kayes, in the presence of the Governor of Kayes region and Dennis B. Hankins, US Ambassador to Mali. In addition to the administrative and political authorities, this ceremony brought together civil society organizations, community leaders, and the private sector.

In his address, Mathieu Rouquette, Interim Country Director of Mercy Corps Mali, explained that the Lafia project is a program of hope and prevention that aims to put young people back at the heart of a common project of peace, trust, and resilience. In his turn, the United States Ambassador indicated that the United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is committed to the Republic of Mali to support the process of national reconciliation and peace building. Finally, the Governor of the Kayes region considered the Lafia program to be timely given the situation in his region. He committed to the active involvement and support of the authorities in the implementation of the program. After the various speeches, the Mercy Corps Peacebuilding Programs Manager gave a brief presentation on the Lafia project.

Internal Kick-off Meeting and Monitoring and Evaluation Workshop The program team then held the kickoff meeting on December 11, 2019 with all Mercy Corps team members and the Mercy Corps senior management team. The subsequent Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) workshop was held on December 14 and brought together Lafia team members and the MEL Advisor. During these meetings, the team discussed implementation parameters including: logistics, operations, donor requirements for financial and programmatic reporting, and monitoring and evaluation. The team also focused on the review of the MEL Plan, logical framework and indicators. This enabled them to define the collection tools and to develop the implementation plan for the baseline study.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 11 Baseline Study The objective of the baseline study was to understand the current perceptions of communities and individuals regarding levels of violence in their community, their capacity to identify root causes of conflict, their level of knowledge and satisfaction with the Algiers Peace Agreement, and the understanding of the national countering violent extremism (CVE) policy in Bamako and the Kayes region. It also aimed to establish a benchmark for the implementation of the program in relation to pre-identified indicators linked to the program’s objectives.

From February 13-20, 2020, data collection was carried out in Kayes region and the District of Bamako. Eighteen (18) communes were chosen according to specific criteria including number of violent incidents and demonstrations, presence and activity of youth associations, and presence of vulnerable areas. Following this study, 10 communes were selected as final target areas. The other eight communes will serve as control localities to better evaluate the effects and impacts of the Lafia project through a comparative approach. A total of 840 people (368 women and 472 men), were interviewed, with 417 participants in the Kayes region and 423 participants in the district of Bamako.

The main limitation is the nature of the topic of the study. The questions focused mainly on conflict, violence, attacks, and opinions about government. This type of survey can be sensitive and respondents may feel fear or apprehension in expressing anti-government views or mentioning attacks and violence. This may have influenced the responses and affect the reliability of the results. Another limitation relates to the translation of technical terms such as “radicalism,” “conflict,” or “violent extremism” into the national language. Interviewers were obliged to use contextual explanations so that respondents could understand. This could affect the objectivity of their answers.

Baseline Study Recommendations The data for the Lafia baseline study was collected in February 2020 from 840 respondents. The survey in most cases, collected data on attitudes. According to the overall objective of the baseline study, the main findings and conclusions regarding the indicators are described below.

Percentage of young men and women who agree that they participate in the creation of a safe and productive society: Overall, only 37% believe that they contribute to the creation of a safe and productive society in their community. Therefore, the program should focus on bolstering the safe and meaningful participation of young women and young men in society through existing local youth associations and equipping these to carry out their activities and positively influence their respective communities.

Percentage of people who believe that those responsible for conflict management in their area are able to prevent and resolve conflicts in their community: As conflict management is an important component in communities, the study shows that respondents have a favorable opinion of their community leader’s involvement in conflict resolution and ability to resolve or prevent conflicts. This bodes well for the ability of targeted community leaders and local authorities to be able to mitigate rising conflict.

Percentage of people who believe that National Policies to Promote Peace will benefit their ethnic communities: The study confirms that only 6% say they are aware of the content of the peace agreement and the National Policies to Promote Peace. Despite a certain level of confidence in the government of Mali, most also seem dissatisfied with its efforts regarding their well-being at the community level. There remains a general feeling that Kayes and the more stable parts of Mali are neglected in favor of the more conflict-affected center (Mopti) and formal peace processes in the north.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 12 Signature of MOU and Orientation Session with Think Peace Mercy Corps conducted an in-depth assessment of Think Peace's financial and administrative capacity, in alignment with the commitment to build the organizational capacity of its partners. This assessment was carried out at two levels: programmatic and financial management. An assessment of the partner's programmatic capacities was completed based on lessons learned from the previous partnership. The Mercy Corps finance team conducted a financial management capacity assessment and developed recommendations and a capacity building plan that has been appended to the sub-grant agreement. The assessment led to recommendations and a capacity building plan. Following this evaluation, the Program Manager has developed the terms of reference for Think Peace's work on Lafia. The two partners signed the MOU enabling Think Peace to start its activities. Mercy Corps organized an orientation meeting on March 19, 2020 in Think Peace's office, which brought together the National Coordinator of Think Peace, the project staff, and the Program Manager. The objective was to review the terms of the partnership and discuss the implementation strategy. The Program Manager facilitated a review of the main aspects of the partnership, including the presentation of the project, activities and indicators, and reporting. The two partners discussed staff responsibilities and deployment in the field. Think Peace has provided the project with a coordinator and three community development officers who will be based in Kayes, Yelimane, and Diema.

Awareness-raising & Violence Prevention Initiatives: May 11, 2020 On May 11, 2020, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed by a police officer while on his motorcycle in Kayes region. There was an immediate outcry, and demonstrators went to the 2nd district police station in Kayes to set it on fire. The confrontation between the population and the police resumed on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, with violence that resulted in three deaths and injuries. Following this tragic event and in response to the risks of escalating violence, Lafia initiated awareness- raising actions to ease tensions between the security forces and the population in Kayes in collaboration with key influential actors (youth, women, RECOTRAD, religious, security forces, etc.). This consisted of identifying key actors, organizing awareness-raising meetings, producing awareness videos that were broadcast on the local media and organizing three round tables that engaged the local president of the nation council of youth, a representative of traditional communicators, the communal council, regional director of youth, the permanent secretariat for combating proliferation of small arms, and the citizen committee.

This response also resulted in the involvement of the Permanent Secretariat for Combating the Proliferation of Small Arms, which has set up a commission to recover the weapons taken when the police station was attacked, in collaboration with the Governor and the Regional Police Directorate. Short videos and audio were produced and broadcast on social networks and local radio stations. Key actors, such as the brother of the young man who was killed and the leaders of the youth demonstrators, shared peaceful messages with the population through these videos.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 13 These various actions have contributed considerably to restoring calm. The response also generated a surge of civic mindedness among young people, who mobilized to clean up the premises of the police station that had been ransacked during the events.

“These initiatives are timely. It is important that the various influential actors in the community intervene so that we can find solutions to this current crisis and avoid further violence. I particularly welcome this initiative by Think Peace, Mercy Corps, and partners to produce and disseminate messages of healing so that we can meet as brothers and sisters to resolve this crisis and preserve social dialogue and understanding between the security services and the population.” -- Municipal Councilor, Kayes

Progress by Program Objective

Objective 1: Youth reduce their vulnerability to participating in conflict and violent extremism. Activities under this objective are led by the national partner Think Peace with Mercy Corps technical support. These activities aim to engage youth in reflection and actions keeping them far from conflict and violent extremism.

ACTIVITY 1.1. YOUTH ASSOCIATIONS CONDUCT A MAPPING EXERCISE OF VULNERABILITY TO VIOLENCE AND SOURCES OF RESILIENCE. Mercy Corps' MEL team and Program Manager started by training Think Peace staff on the Vulnerabilities and Resilience Assessment Initiative (VRAI) approach and methodology. The main objective of the VRAI process, an approach developed and implemented by Mercy Corps in Niger, is to understand vulnerability to violence and sources of resilience in Kayes region and Bamako District. Specific objectives include:

 Understand social, economic and cultural dynamics of the targeted areas;  Identify perceptions of households and different groups on the factors of vulnerability and resilience of communities to violent extremism;  Collect views and opinions of the authorities on the security situation and the community resilience;  Inform the selection of the communes of intervention. After the training with Think Peace, Mercy Corps led a training for the young women and young men data collectors. The youth training included general information on Lafia, the VRAI approach, the review of tools, and, due to the timing/context, also included COVID-19 prevention measures. Under the section on data collection tools, the training looked at social, economic, and cultural dynamics, specific gender issues, and more. The training took place on March 25 – 26, 2020 and was attended by 20 young women and men.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 14

To increase youth involvement and ownership in the mapping exercise, Lafia collaborated with the National Youth Council (CNJ) of Mali and the Union of Young Muslims (UJMMA) of Mali. Through these two organizations, 50 youth were able to participate in this mapping exercise, as well as join other young women and men in S4C activities for the prevention of violent extremism.

The collection phase for the District of Bamako took place over four days, from March 30 – April 2, 2020, just after the training of the data collectors. Data collection for the Kayes region was carried out in April 2020. In total, the study interviewed 508 people, including 152 women (approximately 30% of total respondents). 68% of the respondents were in the Kayes region and about 32% were in Bamako.

Table 1: Distribution of respondents by age group and gender

Age & Gender Bamako Kayes Total Women 38 114 152 15-17 1 1 2 20-24 1 8 9 25-35 15 37 52 36-93 21 68 89 Men 125 231 356 20-24 4 6 10 25-35 38 40 78 36-93 83 185 268 Total 163 345 508

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 15 The main conclusions of this study are as follows:3

Access to basic social and livelihood services and satisfaction with community public services

Overall, almost all of the interviewees (98%) reported having access to basic services. However, in terms of equal access to education, 59% of respondents report having access without gender, social, or ethnic discrimination. This rate is much lower in Bamako (18%) than in Kayes (78%).

Regarding satisfaction with public services, 84% of respondents in Kayes felt they were at least "well" satisfied and 26% reported “very well.” On the other hand, in Bamako, only 16% of respondents felt they were at least "well" satisfied. This could be related to greater demand in Bamako resulting in lower quality service, which is then reflected in respondents' dissatisfaction.

Perceptions of the current security situation and evolution over the next three years

Regarding perceptions of the security situation, opinions remain divided. In the Kayes region, less than half of the respondents believe that the security situation is “not good,” compared to 50% in Bamako. When the data from the Kayes region are analyzed closely, the most pessimistic respondents are more numerous in the communes of with 74% of respondents, Guidimé with 71%, and Koussané with 67%. These communes have recently been confronted with security issues with rumors of the presence of radical groups, conflicts and clashes over land issues, and social tensions and flare-ups surrounding the cultural practice of slavery as a backdrop.

Among the reasons cited for the deterioration of the security situation are the failure of the security forces and the increase in acts of banditry. When asked about how communities believe the security situation would evolve over the next three years, it was clear that respondents are not optimistic. Overall, 52% of respondents think that the security situation will deteriorate. This rate is higher in Kayes with 53% of respondents compared to 50% in Bamako.

Factors of vulnerability to violent extremism

When asked about the reasons that lead individuals to engage in violence, respondents were asked about five categories of reasons:

 Psychological: 64% of interviewees overall think that despair is a reason that drives people to radicalism. This despair can have several sources, including the misery caused by the lack of livelihoods, or poor treatment of a person or a group of people that deprives them of the possibility of asserting themselves within the community. 63% of all respondents believe that “gain facile” or the idea of easy advancement – both economically or socially - is one of the psychological reasons for radicalism. o This perception is even more pronounced in the Kayes region, where 68% of the interviewees think the same, compared to 55% in Bamako. In addition to despair and gain facile, other drivers include naivety, the quest for self-assertion, fear, protection, revenge, and others.  Training/education: Respondents' perceptions of education and training reasons that can push individuals to join radicalism or violence include several factors. These include the degradation of

3 The full report is included in the submission as an appendix.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 16 educational values, poor quality of education, lack of socio-educational infrastructures, mismatch between education provided and the labor market, and the socio-cultural realities of the communities.  Ideological: Analysis shows that 67% of the people interviewed in the Kayes region and the district of Bamako believe that sensitivity to the defense of a religion or ideology is a major reason that drives adult and young men to join radicalism and violence. In addition to this, religious principles and texts are interpreted differently across theoretical schools, which can lead to misinterpretations or misunderstandings, particularly between different groups or ideologies.  Socioeconomic: When asked about the different socioeconomic reasons that lead individuals to become radicalized, 91% of the respondents emphasized the lack of job opportunities or youth unemployment that will push young people to the temptation of gain facile. This can lead to banditry activities or membership in radical groups, which will allow them to generate income to hope for social or marital happiness.  Politics/Governance: Respondents' perception of political and governance reasons is a major factor that can lead to sometimes violent behavior towards the political class. These reasons include insufficient state presence, poor management and distribution of resources, a sense of impunity, restricted recreational space, and military bribes or misdeeds. These different political and governance reasons are intimately linked and constitute a destructive cycle of cause and effect.

Resilience to Violent Extremism

The elements of community resistance to violent extremism are diverse and varied. These include fear of adhering to ideas that advocate violence, preservation of one's own dignity and respect for the dignity of others, tolerance and love for one's neighbor, mutual respect or patriotism, faith (religion), the presence of community bodies/committees dealing with conflict management or other topics relevant to community life. In addition to these, there is the support of the Malian diaspora.

Different strategies developed to cope with violence

To alleviate any problems inherent in community life and ensure survival, certain strategies have been developed by the communities themselves. These are:

 The establishment of a vigilance committee or brigade; self-defense groups  Mass sensitization within the community;  The crisis committee or peaceful conflict management committee;  Meetings, consultations and social dialogue;  Strengthening community ties and conflict management mechanisms;  Night military patrols;  Night patrols organized by young people.

Classification and selection of communes of intervention

Following this study, the municipalities in which the Lafia program intervened were selected according to predefined vulnerability criteria. In the District of Bamako, communes II and IV were chosen as intervention zones and in the Kayes region, the rural communes of Falémé, Koussané and the urban commune of Kayes in the Kayes circle were chosen. In Diéma, the communes of Diéma and Diangounté Camara and in the circle of Yélimané the communes of Fanga, Guidimé and .

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 17 Analysis and classification of communes

Following this study, the communes of intervention for Lafia were selected according to predefined vulnerability criteria.

Table 2: Communities identified through VRAI mapping

Cercle/District Targeted Communes

Koussané Kayes Falémé

Béma Diéma Diangounté Camara

Konsiga4

Fanga Yélimane Guidimé

Kremis

Commune II Bamako Commune IV

Recommendations

 Religious and cultural values can be both a source of resilience and as a factor of radicalization, as demonstrated by the religious ideological factors that lead to both radicalization and the ongoing practice of slavery in the Kayes region, which is increasingly weakening community cohesion.

 Community cohesion remains an important source of resilience in the face of conflict and violence as social interactions can facilitate dialogue and conflict resolution. On the other hand, if a unique and strong leadership emerges in a given community, that individual can engage the entire community in conflict or distrust by capitalizing on perceptions of marginalization or exclusion.

 Issues of governance and injustice remain important factors in grievances against government authorities. Lafia intends to engage both youth and the authorities in joint activities that will serve to engage the different actors in a collaborative learning process around common interests and citizens.

4 The commune of was eventually replaced by the urban commune of Kayes due to the leadership conflict in Konsiga. Nevertheless, Lafia remains available to the local authorities as a resource to support them in the resolution of this leadership conflict.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 18  Respondents cited "gain facile" as a factor of radicalization or violence among young people. This reveals a loss of confidence among young people in the traditional ways of progressing socially and economically – primarily school, work and/or entrepreneurship.

Workshops: VRAI Results and targeting

In order to present the results of the VRAI mapping, discuss key findings, and proceed with the selection of target communes for the project, the program organized two workshops to reflect on the preliminary results of the VRAI mapping in Kayes and Bamako. The workshop in Kayes was held on June 5, 2020 in the meeting room of the Governorate of Kayes. Participants included the representative of the Governor of Kayes, the Prefects and Presidents of the councils of the circles of Kayes, Diéma and Yélimane, the Regional Director of Social Development and Solidarity Economy of Kayes, representatives from local youth and women-led organizations, and finally the Kayes RECOTRAD. The Bamako workshop was held on June 25, 2020 in the office of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mali under the authority of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship. It brought together 22 participants including representatives of the Ministry of Social Cohesion and National Reconciliation, the Mayor's Office of Commune 3, the Governorate of the District of Bamako and civil society organizations. The discussions focused first on the VRAI results, followed by participants completing a tool used to guide selection of the target communes.

ACTIVITY 1.2: 60 SPORT FOR CHANGE CLUBS SET-UP TO INVOLVE 2000 YOUTH AT RISK OF PARTICIPATION IN CONFLICT IN IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT IN COLLABORATION WITH YOUTH LEADERS. Mercy Corps supported Think Peace through three preliminary steps of beginning implementation of Sport for Change activities:

 Orientation session with Think Peace on the Sport for Change approach;  Establishment of sports clubs and identifying coaches;  Training sessions for coaches.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 19 Think Peace orientation on Sport for Change approach and methodology

As the S4C approach was new to national partner, Think Peace, the Lafia Program Manager facilitated an orientation session from June 3-4, 2020. This session enabled the program team and Think Peace staff to establish a shared understanding of the S4C approach and to review the first eight modules (Self-esteem, Leadership, Inclusion, Teamwork, Responsibility, Common Interests, Competition and Collaboration, and Pressure). Then, the program conducted training of trainers on the S4C approach as well as on the first eight training modules.

60 sport clubs established in the 10 target communes5

After validating the TORs, a preliminary survey was carried out on the sports practices in each locality, the existence of sports clubs, the participation of girls in the sports activities, and existing sports infrastructure.

In accordance with the established criteria

and in collaboration with the local youth offices, physical education teachers and administrators, the program team organized community meetings in each commune to

explain S4C approach and objectives. With

the involvement of local authorities, community representatives provided the members and supported on the coaches’ identification process.

In total, the program set up 60 sport clubs including 23 female clubs (38%), and a club for people living with disabilities in Bamako. They are young men with physical disabilities. They use wheelchairs and some of them have some experience in the practice of sport. One of the specific needs Lafia meets is providing wheels to facilitate the practice. Lafia is in contact with the national federation of disabled people for the consideration of other specific needs.

5 Initially, the target number of sport clubs was 80. But, for budget reasons, we reduced this number to 60 because of the COVID-19. As for all S4C activities, according to Mercy Corps SOPs, we provide masks and sanitizers

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 20 Table 3 summarizes the setup of sport clubs for each circle.

Table 3: Summary of established clubs

Cercle/District Communes Men Women Mixed TOTAL

Kayes Kayes 6 2 0 8

Faleme 2 1 1 4

Koussane 3 2 1 6

Diema Bema 3 3 0 6

Diangounte Camara 4 2 0 6

Yelimane Fanga 5 1 0 6

Guidime 4 2 0 6

Kremis 4 2 0 6

Bamako Commune II 3 3 0 6

Commune IV 2 4 0 6

TOTAL 36 22 2 60

Training sessions – 60 coaches from 10 communes trained on eight S4C modules

Mercy Corps organized five training sessions for coaches including two sessions in Kayes, one in Diema, one in Yelimane and one in Bamako. These sessions, the first of which was facilitated by the Lafia program manager in Kayes, aimed to allow the 60 coaches from the 10 communes to have a better understanding of the S4C approach, to go through the roles and responsibilities of a coach, to train coaches on the modules of self- esteem, leadership, communication, inclusion, teamwork, responsibility, common interests, competition and collaboration. Ultimately, these sessions allowed participants to master the tools for facilitating S4C sessions. They brought together 60 coaches, including 23 women. Afterwards, sports clubs were able to start S4C activities with youth and all sport clubs are now running sessions. There have been some delays and challenges with few clubs in Yelimane as these activities started during the rainy season that is also agriculture work period, so some coaches and youth were not available to participate regularly, which caused delays in the planning. The program team noticed this during the monitoring visits and identified substitute coaches to keep sessions running

Finally, Mercy Corps has worked to incorporate lessons learned from an external evaluation conducted on its peacebuilding program in northern Mali, which had Sports for Change as a central piece of its community level approach.6 Lessons learned include additional modules on youth leaders’ negotiation and organizational skills.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 21 ACTIVITY 1.3. YOUTH DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT ACTION PLANS THAT ADDRESS RISK FACTORS FOR VIOLENCE. This activity provides a platform for discussion between actors within communities. It aims to contribute to the establishment of a transparent dialogue between youth, communities and those responsible for justice, security, members of land commissions, and administrative authorities. These actors discuss the recommendations of VRAI mapping and develop action plans to counter the identified threats. In addition, young people will conduct multimedia awareness campaigns on non-violence at the end of these meetings.

Lafia organized two workshops in Diema (September 18-19) and Yelimane (September 23-24). These two workshops brought together 65 people including young people from associations, members of S4C clubs, local representatives of the CNJ and UJMMA and other influential associations, and women from the intervention communes of the circles project in Kayes, Diema, Yelimane. During these meetings, several main points arose, which are summarized in Table 4 below.

5 The report, conducted by Edburgh Consultants, found the Sports for Change approach to the “greatest success” of the program. As summarized by the evaluators, “it is overall seen as the greatest contributor to addressing violence reduction in the communities and to social economic reintegration of youth in particular”

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 22

Table 4: Identified community risk factors and suggested mitigation

Location Risk Factors Mitigation Actions Actors to Involve

Failure to respect Establish/operationalize land Village Chief, Mayor, Sub- pastoral trails, management committees in all prefect, Chamber of grazing land villages Agriculture, Breeders' Cooperative, World Vision

Disrespect of the Sensitize the pastoral calendar and Village Chief, Sub-prefect, village laws the layout of pastoral trails Mayor Chamber of Agriculture, Bema Livestock and Farmers' (Diema) Carry out the layout of the pastoral Cooperative tracks

Challenging traditions Awareness raising, communication on Imam, village chief, traditional and customs (cultural the respect of human rights chiefs, women, youth, local practice of slavery) radios

Non-respect of Elaborate a community pact between Village Chief, Mayor, Sub- pastoral paths breeders and farmers, prefect, Chamber of Kremis signing conventions, approving them Agriculture, Livestock and (Yelimane) and popularizing them through radio Farmers' Cooperative

Tension around Awareness campaigns on the radio Village Chief, Mayor, Sub- Guidimé water points in and public meetings on the respect of prefect, Chamber of (Yelimane) relation to fishing fishing rules throughout the world, Agriculture, local radio stations practice developing ponds

Objective 2: Traditional, religious, and female leaders and government officials resolve inter-group conflicts peacefully and reduce conflict drivers.

Activities under this objective started with the identification of local leaders and monitors, followed by initial training sessions on conflict analysis and resolution and EWER systems. Afterward, Mercy Corps set up the EWER system.

ACTIVITY 2.1. TRADITIONAL, RELIGIOUS, WOMEN, AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION. Lafia organized 9 training sessions, including 8 in Kayes region and 1 in Bamako District. These sessions brought together leaders and monitors from each participating commune. The participants included village chiefs, neighborhood chiefs, community leaders, young women, young men, and women leaders as well as

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 23 the mayors and sub-prefects. With a total of 205 participants, including 69 women and 30 monitors, the objectives of this session were to strengthen the capacities of community leaders on conflict resolution techniques and to discuss the role of community leaders in the development of responses to the alerts and incidents that the EWER system will produce. In addition to conflict analysis and resolution techniques, participants revisited local mechanisms such as the palaver tree and cultural joking as recourse for resolving certain types of conflicts. These sessions also allowed the authorities, such as mayors and sub-prefects, to present numerous cases of land conflicts as practical case studies for the analysis and resolution.

The remaining session will be organized in October in Bamako in Commune IV, and will be followed by setting up the last EWER system.

ACTIVITY 2.2. TRAINED LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN 12 CONFLICT RESOLUTION FORUMS TO SHARE LESSONS AND DEVELOP/ADAPT EWER SYSTEMS TO NEEDS OF ZONES OF INTERVENTION This activity will follow the establishment of the EWER system. As the system is operational, this forum will be organized during the next quarter after the pilot phase of the EWER system.

Regarding the EWER system, based on lessons learned from the previous USAID/CMM-funded ARPP project, the mayor is now involved as a key actor at two levels: monitoring the responses developed by community leaders and analyzing the collected data. by including the mayor as a key actor, This helps ensure that Lafia set up a sustainable system with through linkages to the national early warning system (EWS).

Table 5: EWER system indicators and codes

A INTRA- AND INTERCOMMUNITY COHESION Code

1 Chieftaincy conflict and challenge to customary and/or religious authority A1

2 Denigration of a religion, desecration of a sacred symbol or place A2

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 24 3 Propagation of identity and hate messages A3

4 Propagation of persistent rumours A4

5 Ethnic or community confrontation A5

6 Interprofessional confrontation A6

7 Tension over common natural resources A7

8 Seizure, theft or destruction of crops, agricultural, livestock or fishery products A8

9 Obstacle to the free movement of persons and goods A9

10 Exclusion or marginalization of a group, community or ethnicity observed A10

11 Reduction in interactions between communities, ethnic groups or groups observed A11

12 Tensions related to political opinions and/or affiliations A12

B ARMED VIOLENCE AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE

1 Ethnic or community confrontation with the use of firearms or edged weapons B1

2 Interprofessional confrontation with the use of firearms or edged weapons B2

3 Firearms or edged weapons use in hold-ups/cut-backs B3

4 Assaults/threats with firearms or edged weapons B4

5 Assassinations/killings with firearms or edged weapons B5

6 Incursion or attacks by armed gangs B6

7 Sequestration or kidnapping with firearms B7

8 Rape/sexual assault with or without firearms or weapons B8

9 Domestic/marital violence with or without weapons B9

10 Incitement to violence B10

11 Acts of revenge or reprisal B11

12 Destruction of property and religious and cultural public buildings B12

13 Other unspecified cases of violence B13

The system is operational in 9 of the 10 target communes. In the communes in the Kayes region, the system was tested during the pilot phase for at least one month. It was designed using the same approach in Kayes and in the District of Bamako, although there are some small differences. In the Kayes region, it is the village council that constitutes the response committee, while in Bamako, it is the District Council, composed of the head of the district and his counselor, set up for a period of 5 years by the Governorate. Additionally, the communes of Kayes have 3 monitors each as opposed to 6 monitors per commune in the District of Bamako

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 25 because of their size. Another specificity of the Bamako system is the involvement of the founding families of Bamako who play an important role of mediation and facilitation in most crises, even national ones.

Figure 3: Lafia EWER system structure

After a month of testing the system in the Kayes region, several incidents were collected by the monitors and forwarded to the response committees as shown in the following table and graph:

Table 6: Incidents reported through EWER system – pilot phase

Type of incident Code # of incidents

Acts of vengeance or retaliation B11 1

Ethnic confrontation with the use of a weapon or firearm B1 2

Interpersonal confrontation A6 3

Interprofessional confrontation with the use of firearms or knives B2 3

Armed bandit attacks on roads with firearms or weapons B3 1

Exclusion or marginalization of an observed group, community or A10 1 ethnicity

Tension around natural resources A7 1

Tension related to opinions or ideological affiliations A12 3

Tensions around common natural resources A7 1

TOTAL 16

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 26

Total Actes de vengeance ou de représailles / B11

Affrontement ethnique avec usage d’arme ou arme à feu (B1) Affrontement interpersonnel / A6

Affrontement interprofessionnel avec usage d'arme à feu ou arme blanche (B2) Braquage/coupeurs de route avec usage d'arme à feu ou armes blanches (B3)

Exclusion ou marginalisation d'un groupe, d'une communauté ou d'une éthnie observée (A10) Tension autour des ressources naturelles (A7)

Tension liée aux opinions ou appartenances idéologiques (A12) Tensions autour des ressources naturelles communes (A7)

Figure 4: Incidents collected by the EWER system in the Kayes region (August - September 2020)

Translation Actes de vengeance ou de représailles: Acts of vengeance or retaliation Affrontement ethnique avec l'utilisation d'une arme ou d'une arme à feu: Ethnic confrontation with the use of a weapon or firearm Affrontement interpersonnelle: Interpersonal confrontation Affrontement interprofessionnel avec l'usage d'armes à feu ou arme blanche: Interprofessional confrontation with the use of weapons or firearms Braquage/coupeurs de route avec usage d'arme a feu ou armes blanches: Armed individuals with firearms or weapons Exclusion ou marginalisation d'un groupe, d'une communauté ou d'une ethnie observes: Exclusion or marginalization of an observed group, community or ethnicity Tension autour des ressources naturelles: Tension related to natural resources Tension liée aux opinions ou aux affiliations idéologiques: Tension related to opinions or ideological affiliations Tensions autour des ressources naturelles communes: Tensions related to common natural resources

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 27 Of the 16 incidents reported in the Kayes region, more than half (9) involved inter-ethnic or inter-community conflicts (with or without the use of firearms), one of which involved the marginalization of an ethnic group. All 16 incidents were handled by the response committees, which resolved four of them. The 12 others are still being resolved with the involvement of the response committee.

ACTIVITY 2.3. JUSTICE AND SECURITY OFFICIALS, LAND COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN EIGHT COMMUNITY DIALOGUES TO DISCUSS CONFLICT RISKS AND CAUSES, AND CREATE ACTION PLANS TO PREVENT VIOLENCE. ACTIVITY 2.4. COMMUNITIES, IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES, IMPLEMENT JOINT PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS ONE OR MORE CONFLICT DRIVERS. Activities 2.3 and 2.4 are a continuation of the training sessions. They will enable community leaders and the authorities, based on their new knowledge, to analyze local contexts and propose action plans that will lead to the implementation of joint projects addressing the causes of community violence. These activities will begin during the next quarter.

Objective 3: Local communities actively engage with relevant government authorities and civil society actors in the implementation of national policies that prevent violent extremism and promote reconciliation

ACTIVITY 3.1. CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING YOUTH ASSOCIATIONS, INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CVE STRATEGY. ACTIVITY 3.2. YOUTH ASSOCIATION LEADERS DISSEMINATE INFORMATION AMONG TARGET YOUTH ABOUT THE CVE STRATEGY AND COLLECT INPUT FOR THE ACTION PLAN. ACTIVITY 3.3. COMMUNITY LEADERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTORS, AND MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION OFFICIALS SHARE LESSONS FROM EWER SYSTEM AND DEVELOP PLAN TO INTEGRATE EWER INTO NATIONAL POLICY. Activities relating to Objective 3 focus on public policies of the Malian state related to national reconciliation and the fight against violent extremism. As such, they should be carried out in close cooperation with the government, including Ministry of National Reconciliation and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to combat violent extremism and terrorism on the other. Mercy Corps and its national partners, including Think Peace, CNJ, and UJMMA, had begun discussions on how to implement these activities. Unfortunately, political turmoil and regime change prevented these discussions from proceeding smoothly. In addition, the process of revising the national strategy to combat violent extremism is progressing very slowly. Nevertheless, Mercy Corps has contacted the Permanent Secretariat in charge of the National Strategy for Combating Violent Extremism and Terrorism to identify ways in which Lafia program can support the strategy revision process. Discussions are ongoing and the first activities could be implemented as early as next quarter, depending on how the political context evolves.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 28 CHALLENGES & LESSONS LEARNED Between the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-political unrest, the Lafia project has faced several challenges, the most significant of which are:

Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic While activities were paused with the onset of the pandemic and early government restrictions, program activities were then able to resume albeit at a slower pace as a result of prevention and mitigation measures. The measures put in place by Mercy Corps allowed for operational continuity in a safe operating environment.

Mercy Corps’ contingency plan allows it to maintain operational continuity, while taking into consideration the security and safety of the team. For example, the VRAI mapping was conducted taking into account the following points:

 Adapting focus group discussions (FGDs) and surveys to prevent the spread of COVID-19;  Limiting the FGDs to 10 or fewer people;  Using non-contact thermometers to measure temperature of participants upon entry;  Ensure that people to be separated by 2m distance – chairs should be placed in a particular order to avoid social contact;  Ask people with flu-like symptoms, coughs, difficulty in breathing and/or fever to stay at home;  Provide adequate waste management facilities (bins, cans, bin-liners and single use tissues);  Provide information on prevention of COVID-19 to participants (as per local health authority guidance).

These preventive measures impacted the budget and forced the Lafia program to reduce the number of sports clubs from 80 to 60 in order to ensure that activities were carried out in compliance with the health standards set.

Socio-political unrest in Bamako and throughout Mali Following the proclamation of the final results of the legislative election by the Constitutional Court in April 2020, political demonstrations increased in Bamako and other cities throughout the country. Political tensions increased and positions hardened with successive demonstrations by the M5-RFP coalition. These demonstrations led to the August 18, 2020 political upheaval, the subsequent resignation of the president of the republic, and the establishment of a transitional government. This ongoing unrest disrupted activity implementation, particularly in Bamako. As a result, Lafia project activities in Bamako are behind those in Kayes. In response, Mercy Corps has adapted the implementation schedule to include the simultaneous implementation of activities in two communes of Bamako to make up for the delay.

Unwillingness of the administrative authorities to address the tensions related to the cultural practice of slavery Several incidents regarding the existing practice of slavery have been reported, some of which resulted in a death. Slavery is a serious problem that affects social relations and the lives of individuals, families, and communities in the region. As slavery is framed as a traditional practice, there is a great deal of sensitivity and any intervention must be delicate. The Lafia program will refrain from addressing the problem directly, at the risk of compromising the acceptance of the project in the region. However, Lafia will collaborate and support

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 29 all internal initiatives from community leaders and/or local authorities to address this issue until a specific strategy is developed.

Sustainability As a core strategy to the program’s implementation, Mercy Corps supports local existing institutions and partner organizations to deliver program interventions. By doing this, Mercy Corps ensures local partners and other program stakeholders to have ownership of the program design and delivery. The Lafia team engages youth, governmental structures (e.g. land commissions), community leaders (e.g. traditional leaders), and youth in social cohesion activities to promote national reconciliation.

Environmental Compliance No activities are presently planned that require environmental review. However, Mercy Corps is corresponding closely with USAID, particularly around the selection of joint projects that may impact the local environment and require mitigating actions according to the approved Initial Environmental Examination (IEE).

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 30 PLANNED ACTIVITES - NEXT QUARTER

Objective 1: Youth reduce their vulnerability to participating in conflict and violent extremism. In the coming quarter, Lafia will continue the training sessions for sport club coaches so that each club can start S4C activities. This step will allow us to launch action plans designing and implementation.

 Activity 1.2. 60 Sport for Change Clubs set-up to involve 2,000 youth at risk of participation in conflict in identification and resolution of conflict in collaboration with youth leaders. o Lafia will start the second part of sport for change modules, monitors sport club activities ,and prepare sport competitions and awareness activities  Activity 1.3. Youth design and implement action plans that address risk factors for violence. o The first workshop identified projects that focus on youth civic engagement, local authority and youth dialogue initiatives on local governance, and awareness-raising activities on non-violent advocacy and social cohesion. o Sub-activities include a workshop in Bamako and multimedia non-violence messaging campaigns in Kayes regions.

Objective 2: Traditional, religious, and female leaders and government officials resolve inter-group conflicts peacefully and reduce conflict drivers.  Activity 2.1. Traditional, religious, women, and government leaders increase their capacity in dispute resolution. o Lafia will support the remaining neighborhood councils that are made up of leaders already charged with resolving disputes in their communities, as well as other key actors, to resolve local conflicts in Bamako District.  Activity 2.2. Trained leaders participate in 12 conflict resolution forums to share lessons and develop/adapt EWER systems to needs of zones of intervention. o During the next quarter, Lafia will organized at least three conflict resolution forums in each of the three target cercles and in Bamako, enabling leaders from different communes and ethnic communities to network and exchange contact information, share dispute resolution experiences, develop common communication mechanisms, and reinforce learning on conflict management techniques. To ensure active involvement of women, the project will hold several sessions at each forum in women and men-only discussion groups, and discuss the unique conflict mitigation dynamics and challenges faced. Then, in plenary, women and men will share their successes and challenges together.  Activity 2.3. Justice and security officials, land commission members, and community leaders participate in eight community dialogues to discuss conflict risks and causes and create action plans to prevent violence. o Mercy Corps will facilitate forums at the cercle level in Kayes and in target neighborhoods of Bamako to bring together select leaders from Activity 2.1 and cercle-level government and security authorities to create strategic plans for preventing future conflict from arising.

Objective 3: Local communities actively engage with relevant government authorities and civil society actors in the implementation of national policies that prevent violent extremism and promote reconciliation.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 31 Under this objective, Think Peace will develop a strategy with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Worship regarding how the program will work on the national CVE strategy and identify all stakeholders to be involved in the process.  Activity 3.1. Civil society organizations, including youth associations, increase their knowledge of the CVE strategy.  Activity 3.2. Youth association leaders disseminate information among target youth about the CVE strategy and collect input for the action plan.

MERCY CORPS Lafia: Annual Report 2020 32

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